Musical instrument



Nov. 9, 1937. A. Looms 2,098,457

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 15, v1956 /0 J4 '25. la

l1.o H4

INVENTOR. ALLE/v OOM/Jz BY272c M+ Ecm/m ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 9, 1937 PATENT OFFQE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Allen Loomis, Elkhart,

Ind., assignor to C. G

Conn, Ltd., Elkhart, Ind., a corporation oi.;

Indiana Application August 15, 1936, Serial No. 96,142

13 Claims.

This invention relates to the tuning of musical instruments, and is illustrated as embodied in clarinets or the like having improved tuning means.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and accurate means for tuning such an instrument by shifting axially relatively to each other telescoping sections of the instrument, thereby changing the eiective length of the air column, the tuning means preferably being arranged to limit the separation of the sections in the normal tuning operation to prevent unintentional disengagement of the operating mechanism.

The telescoping sections of the instrument are shown provided with means, such as oppositelydirected (i. e. right and left) external threads, engaged by operating means (such as correspond ing internal threads) carried by a tuning collar or sleeve which surrounds and substantially conceals the telescoping portions of the relativelyshiftable sections. One feature of the invention relates to facilitating the assembly of the parts by making the thread on one section of smaller diameter than that on the other section, the internal threads on the collar being of corresponding different diameters.

An important feature of the invention relates to the provision of means, preferably normally concealed by the collar, for limiting the separating movement of the telescoping sections to prevent unintended disengagement of their threads from the operating threads of the tuning collar or sleeve. At least in one position of the collar, however, the separation-limiting means should be accessible so that it can be rendered inoperative when the instrument is being taken apart.

I prefer to mount a radially projecting part removably on one of the telescoping sections within a slot on the other section, and the collar may then be formed with an opening which alines with, and permits the removal of, the projection in one position of the collar. In the arrangements illustrated, one of the telescoping sections has a keyway interrupting its external thread and receiving a guide key or the like carried by the other section, the key having the slot embracing the removable radial projection to limit separation of the sections.

Another feature of the invention relates to shortening the tuning mechanism by arranging the mouthpiece receiver with a tongue or key, arranged to seat in a lqeyway as described above, spaced radially outside the inside slide, so that (Cl. 84E-386) the outside slide of the body tenen receiver ts between the tongue and the inside slide.

The above and other objects and features of the invention, including various novel combinations of parts and desirable particular construc- 5 tions, will be apparent from the following description of the illustrative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the upper or mouthpiece end of a wood clarinet provided with one form of my improved tuning means;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view, looking in the direction of the arrows 2 2 in Figure l, but with the tuning collar or sleeve broken away in central section to show the parts inclosed the-rein;

Figure 3 is a partial section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail of part of Figure 3 on a much larger scale;

Figure 5 is a partial side elevation of a metal clarinet provided with a somewhat diierent embodiment of my invention;

Figure 6 is a plan View ther-eef, looking in the direction of the arrows @-5 in Figure 5, and with the tuning collar brok-en away in central section;

Figure 7 is a partial section on the line l-l of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is an elevation, partly broken away in central section, showing a third embodiment.

The clarinet illustrated in Figures 1 3 includes an instrument body I Ei, and a mouthpiece l2 intended for use with a reed (not shown), connected by novel tuning means for shifting these parts relative to each other axially (i. e. lengthwise) of the instrument to change the eiective length of the air column.

In the arrangement illustrated, the tuning means comprises telesooping sections l and l, formed at their ends with sockets or tenonreceivers into which lit respectively the usual corked tenons on the ends of the instrument body I0 and the mouthpiece i2, as shown in Figure 3. vIt will be noted that the lefthand end of section I6 is very thin, and telescopes inside oi the section I4, so that there is a substantially continuous and uniform-diameter wall inclosing the air column, in all positions of the tuning mechanism. These sections may, if desired, be built up by soldering thin-walled tubing to rings of heavier 50 material.

The end of the section i4 is formed with an external thread I8, interrupted at one point to provide an undercut keyway extending in the direction of the length of the instrument and slidjecting from a sleeve 22 pressed permanently onto (and if desired soldered or otherwise secured to) the section I6 against the shoulder Which forms the base of they socket receiving the end of the mouthpiece I2. The sleeve 22 is formed withY external threads 23 of somewhat greater diameter than the threads I8. The section IG thus in eiect carries, spaced radially outward therefrom, the key 20, and the section |4 is tted or nested between these two parts. makes for great compactness, shortening the entire tuning mechanism materially as'compared to earlier designs having the same range ofadjustment.

The threads I8 sleeve 22 are directed in opposite directions, one

being a righthand thread and the other being'Y a lefthand thread, and they are engaged by corresponding right-and-left'internal threads 25 of two corresponding different diameters formed on a part 2l@ permanently secured in the interior of a tuning collar or sleeve 26 which normally incloses and protects the telescoping portions of the sections |4 and |6 throughout their entire lengths. The difference in the diameters Afacilitates assembling the parts.

ysetscrew or the like32 if desired, which in one position alines with the stop pin 30 and through which the stop pin can be removed when the instrument is being taken apart. The ends of collar 26 may be protected by suitable ferrules 34.

The arrangement illustrated in Figures 547 is Y substantially as described above, except that it is designed for use with a metal clarinet or similar instrument. Parts correspondingv to parts in Figures 1 4 are indicated by the same reference characters increased by 100. The principal difference is in the size of the parts; however, theV thread-carrying sleeve |22 is illustrated as integral with the section ||6, anda separate thin tube I I1' soldered thereto forms the portion telesccping into the section ||4. Inlthis/arrangement, the pin |30 becomes accessible (for removal) beyond the edge of the collar |26, when collar |26 is turned to bring the pin |30 into the extreme lefthand end of the slot |28.v

Figure 8 illustrates an arrangement which is Vthe same as that in Figures l-3 except that a protecting sleeve 234, surrounding the end of the collar 26, is integral withV a telescoping section 2I4 which may otherwise be of the same construction as the section |4. In this arrangement, turning the collar 2 6 makes the adjustment in the same manner as in the embodiment of `Figures l-4, but the end of the collar is covered by the sleeve 234.

It will be noted that the above-described construction provides a relatively long and easilyY manipulated tuning collar orsleeve, 'that in all of the joints the inside part points toward the lower end ci the instrumentV so that moisture This yand the threads 23 on the ably receiving a guide key 2E! carried by and procannot work into the joints, that the means for keying the sections together does not interrupt the internal surface of the instrument as in some prior constructions, that a wide range of adjustment is provided with a very short tuning mechanism, that permanent attachment of intricate parts to the instrument body is avoided, that there is no substantial interference with the resonance of the instrument lby loose or doubled parts or the like, and that the tuning mechanism iseasily and accurately operated and is not expensive to manufacture.

While several illustrative constructions have been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention to those particular constructions, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

15A tuning device for wind reed musical instruments comprising telescoping sections having respectively right and left external threads and provided with interengaging parts preventy ing relative turning, a collar surrounding the telescoping portions of said sections and which is provided internal right and left threads interengaging respectively with said external threads, said collar being operable tosln'ft said sections relatively to each other axially to tune the instrument, and means within said collar for normally limiting separation of said sections to prevent disengagement of the internal and external threads. l

2. A tuning device for Wind reed musical instruments comprising telescoping sections provided with interengaging parts preventing relative turning and with means limiting separation of said sections, and a collar surrounding the telescoping portions of said sections. said collar and said sections having interengag'ing means by the operation of which said collar shifts said sections relatively to each other axially to tune the instrument, said separation limiting means normally limiting separation of said sections to prevent disengagement of the interengagng means on the collar and said sections.

3. A tuning device for wind reed musical instruments comprising telescoping sections having respectively right and left external threads and provided with interengaging parts preventing relative turning, a collar surrounding the telescopingportions of said sections and which is provided with internal right and left threads interengaging respectively with said external threads, said collar being operable to shift said sections relatively to each other axially to tune the instrument, and means carried by said sections for normally limiting separation of vsaid sections to prevent disengagement of the'internal and external threads.

4. A tuning device for wind reed musical instruments comprising telescoping sections provided with interengaging parts preventing relative turn Y ing and with means limiting separation or said limiting separation of said sections to prevent disn engagement of the interengaging means on the collar and said sections, said separation-limiting means being accessible in one position of the collar and being constructed and arranged readily to be rendered inoperative when the collar is in said position, to facilitate taking the instrument apart when desired.

5. A wind reed musical instrument comprising telescoping sections one of which is keyed to the other to prevent relative turning by a guide key seated in a keyway in the other, said key being iormed with a slot extending lengthwise of the instrument and said other section being removably provided with a radially projecting part extending into said slot to limit the separation of said sections, a collar surrounding the telescoping portions of said sections and which has means which in one position of the collar affords access to said projecting part to permit its removal when the instrument is being taken apart, and interengagine means carried by said collar and said sectic-ns constructed and arranged to be operated by turning the collar to shift said sections axially relative to each other to tune the instrument.

6. A wind reed musical instrument comprising telescoping sections one of which is keyed to the other tc prevent relative turning by a guide key seated in a keyway in the other, said key being formed with a slot extending lengthwise of the instrument and said other section being removably provided with a radially projecting part extending into said slot to limit the separation of said sections, a collar surrounding the telescoping portions of said sections and which is formed with an opening therethrough which in one position ci the collar can be alined with said projecting part to permit its removal when the instrument is being taken apart, and interengaging means carried by said collar and said sections constructed and arranged to be operated by turning the collar to shift said sections axially relative to other to tune the instrument, said interengaging means including oppositely directed threads on the exterior of said sections and one ci which is intersected by said keyway and corresponding oppositely directed threads on the interior oi said collar and interengaging .with the threads on said sections.

7. A wind reed musical instrument comprising telescoping sections externally pro-vided with opis.' ely-directed threads o-ne of which is interi ted by a keyway in the direction of the length he instrument and the other of which has a guide key seated in said keyway, one of said threads being of greater diameter than the other,

a collar surrounding the telescoping ,portions ci said sections and having internal oppositely--directed threads of ldifferent diameters interengaging with the threads on said sections respectively,

8. A tuning device for wind reed musical instruments comprising telescoping sections provided with interengaging parts preventing relative turning and with means limiting separation of said sections, and a collar surrounding the telescoping portions of said sections, said collar and said sections having interengaging means by the operation of which said collar shifts said sections relatively to each other axially to tune the instrument, said separation limiting means normally limiting separation of said sections to prevent disengagement of the interengaging means on the collar and said sections, said collar being f a length tc inclose substantially the entire lengths oi said telescoping sections.

9. A wind reed musical instrument comprising telescoping sections externally provided with oppositely-directed threads one of which is interrupted by a keyway in the direction of the length of the instrument and the other of which has a guide key seated in said keyway, one of said threads being of greater diameter than the other, and a collar surrounding the telescoping portions of said sections and having internal oppositelydirected threads of different diameters interengaging with the threads on said sections respectively, said collar being of a length to inclose substantially the entire lengths of said telescoping sections.

10. A wind reed musical instrument comprising telescoping sections which are adjustable lengthwise of the instrument to tune the instrument, and the inner one of which is provided at one end with a key projecting outside of the outer section parallel to the longitudinal axis of the instrument, said outer section being provided with a keyway into which said key slidably ts, whereby said outer section is nested between the inner section and the key.

1l. A wind reed musical instrument comprising telescoping sections which are adjustable lengthwise of the instrument to tune the instrument, and the inner one of which is provided at one end with a key projecting outside of the outer section, said outer section being provided with a keyway into which said key slidably ts, whereby said outer section is nested between the inner section and the key, in combination with a collar encircling said telescoping sections and said key, and means within and operated by said collar for shifting said sections axially upon each other to tune the instrument.

12. A wind reed musical instrument comprising telescoping sections which are adjustable lengthwise of the instrument to tune the instrument, and the inner one of which is provided at one .end with a key projecting outside of the outer section, said outer section being provided with a keyway into which said key slidably fits, whereby said outer section is nested between the inner section and the key, in combination with a collar encircling said telescoping sections and said key, and which has threads arranged internally thereof, and parts on said sections formed with external threads meshing with the internal threads of said collar for shifting said sections axially upon .each other to tune the instrument.

13. A wind reed musical instrument comprising telescoping sections which are adjustable lengthwise of the instrument to tune the instrument, and the inner one of which is provided at one end with a key projecting outside of the outer section, said outer section being provided with a keyway into which said key slidably ts, whereby said outer section is nested between the inner section and the key, in combination with a collar encircling said telescoping sections and said key, and which has threads arranged internally thereof, and parts on said sections formed with external threads meshing with the internal threads of said collar for shifting said sections axially upon each other to tune the instrument, said keyway being arranged to form an interruption of the threads on the outer one of said sections.

ALLEN LOOMIS. 

